U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

(.   OFHOE  OP  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS— FARMERS'  INSTITUTB  LECTURE  14. 

A.-C.  TRUE,  Director. 


SYLLABUS  OF  ILLUSTRATED  LECTURE 

ON 

FARM  HOME  GROUNDS-THEIR 
PLANTING  AND  CARE. 


BY 


S.  W.  FLETCHER,  M.  S.  Ph.  D., 

Director  yirginia  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1812. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATED  LECTURES. 

Milk, 

By  R.  A.  Pearson.    Pp.  12.     1904. 

<1  Lecture  on  Potato  Diseases 
with  47  lantern  eli  I 
amJ  p.  30.     1904. 

"3.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  .Lecture  oi  ccom- 

.     I? y  I T.  J.  Wheeler.     Pp.28.     1904. 
Uabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Profitable  < 
uiied  with  45  lantern  slides.    By  F.  B.  Mumford.    Pp 

o  5.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Silage  and  Silo  Con- 
struction for  the  South,  accompanied  with  50  lantern  slides.    By  A.  V 
Pp.31,     i 

lecture  6.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Essentials  of  Suc- 
cessful Field  Experimentation,  accompanied  with  32  lantern  slides.     By  ( 
Thome.    Pp.  24.     1905. 

re'  Institute  Lecture  7.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Roads  and  Road 
<  ompanied  with  41  lantern  slides.    By  the  Office  of  Public  Roads, 
I  department  of  Agriculture.    Pp.  16.    1907. 
•  ite  Lecture  8.     Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Farm  Archite 
mpanied  with  48  lantern  slides.     By  Elmina  T.  Wilson.     Pp.  19.     1! 
Fanners'  Institute  Lecture  9.     Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Tobacco  Gr< 

accompanied  with  46  lantern  slides.     By  J.  N.  Harper.     Pp.  15.    1907. 
Farmers'  Institute  Lecture  10.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  the  Prodi: 
and  Marketing  of  Eggs  and  Fowls,  accompanied  with  44  lantern  slides. 
James  Dryden,  Corvallis,  Oreg.    Pp.  20.    1909. 
Farmers'  Institute  Lecture  11.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Wheat  Culture, 
accompanied  with  45  lantern  slides.    By  J.  I.  Schulte,  Office  of  Experii 
Stations.    Pp.  22.     1910. 
Farmers'  Institute  Lecture  12.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  Farm  Homes, 
accompanied  with  51  lantern  slides.    By  John  Hamilton,  Fani;  itute 

Specialist,  Office  of  Experiment  Stations,  and  Geo.  Nox  McCain,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.    Pp.  25.    1912. 
Farmers'  Institute  Lecture  13.    Syllabus  of  Illustrated  Lecture  on  the  Peanut,  Its 
Culture  and  Uses,  accompanied  with  —  lantern  slides.    By  Prof.  W.  B.  Beattie, 
of  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry.     Pp.  — .    1912. 
No.  14 


1425  tamed  March  22,  L912, 

U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

OFFICE  OF  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS-FARMERS'  INSTITUTE  LECTURE  14. 

A.  C.  TRUE,   Director. 


SYLLABUS  OF  ILLUSTRATED  LECTURE 

ON 

FARM  HOME  GROUNDS-THEIR 
PLANTING  AND  CARE. 


BY 


S.  W.  FLETCHEK,  M.  S.  Ph.  D., 

Director  Virginia  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT   PRINTING   OFFICE. 

1912. 


PREFATORY  NOTE 


This  syllabus  of  a  lecture  upon  Farm  Home  Grounds — Their  Plant- 
ing and  Care,  by  S.  W.  Fletcher,  M.  S.,  Ph.  D.,  director  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  is  accompanied  by  51  views 
illustrating  this  topic.  The  syllabus  and  views  have  been  prepared  for 
the  purpose  of  aiding  farmers'  institute  lecturers  in  their  presentation 
of  this  subject  before  institute  audiences. 

The  numbers  in  the  margins  of  the  pages  of  the  syllabus  refer  to 
similar  numbers  on  the  lantern  slides  and  to  their  legends  as  given 
in  the  Appendix. 

John  Hamilton, 

Farmers'  Institute  Specialist. 
Recommended  for  publication. 
A.  C.  True,  Director. 

Publication  authorized. 

James  Wilsox.  Secretary  of  Agriculture, 

Washington,  D.  C,  December  1,  1911. 

No.  14 

m 


FARM  HOME  GROUNDS-THEIR  PLANTING 
AND  CARE. 


By  S.  W.  Fletcheh,  M.  S.,  Ph.  D. 


INTRODUCTION. 

We  are  influenced  by  our  environment  often  more  than  we 
know  or  are  willing  to  admit.  Children  especially  are  sensitive 
to  their  surroundings.  The  unattractiveness  of  their  homes  has 
driven  more  country  boys  to.  the  cities  than  the  hard  work  of 
the  farm  or  its  restricted  social  life.  This  unattractiveness  of 
his  home  surroundings  and  lack  of  the  common  comforts  and 
conveniences  of  life  within  it  has  made  many  a  farmer's  boy 
hate  the  farm  and  led  him  to  the  city  as  soon  as  he  was  of  age. 
The  farmer  owes  to  his  wife  and  to  himself,  but  chiefly  to  his 
children,  the  best  that  he  can  do  toward  increasing  the  attrac- 
tiveness of  his  home.  This  does  not  necessarily  mean  a  large 
expenditure  of  money;  in  fact,  the  best  results  are  often 
secured  with  no  expenditure  except  a  little  time,  and  time 
given  to  making  the  home  more  attractive  is  well  spent. 

A  HOUSE   AND   A  HOME. 

The  views  which  will  be  shown  illustrate  some  of  the  im- 
portant points  to  be  observed  in  improving  the  appearance  of 
the  farm  home.  These  improvements  involve  little  or  no 
expense  in  their  execution  and  may  be  accomplished  in  the 
time  that  the  busiest  farmer  and  his  family  can  easily  find  if 
they  have  an  appreciation  of  their  importance  and  a  disposi- 
tion to  undertake  the  work.  The  heart  of  the  subject  is 
illustrated  in  the  first  two  slides,  which  show  the  external 
difference  between  a  house  and  a  home. 

This  is  a  picture  of  a  farmhouse  on  a  western  prairie.  It 
looks  like  a  new  and  very  comfortable  farm  "  house. "  Doubt- 
less the  farm  is  productive  and  the  family  prosperous.  But 
something  is  lacking;  it  does  not  look  homelike.  You  would 
not  care  to  live  there. 

26198°— No.  14—12  (3) 


View. 


Yhu. 

2  Thenexl  slid,  shows  a  farm  "  home. "  The  whole  place  looks 
comfortable.  1 1  invites  you  to  conn',  in  end  sit  with  the  family 
by  the  fireside.  It  is  a  home;  you  would  like  to  live  there. 
A  few  trees,  a  vine  or  tWO,  and  some  grass  may  make  the  dif- 
ference between  a  house  and  a  borne.  A  house  is  merely  a 
shelter,  a  place  where  people  stay.  A  home  is  a  house,  with  evi- 
dences in  and  about  it  that  the  people  who  live  there  love  it. 
They  have  taken  the  trouble  to  make  il  attractive  and  inviting. 
There  are  in  this  country  too  many  farmhouses  and  too  few 
Farm  homes.  Yet  no  one  loves  his  family  more  than  the 
farmer  or  is  more  interested  in  their  welfare.  His  neglect  ot 
their  surroundings  is  nob  from  lack  of  affection  but  lack  of 
knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the  effect  of  shrubs,  ti< 
vines,  and  a  well-kept  lawn  upon  the  family  life. 

3  Farm  homes  ought  to  bo  the  most  attractive  of  all  homes, 
since  they  are  in  the  open  country  where  plants  live  and  are 
free  to  grow.  Very  few  farms  are  as  unfortunately  situated 
as  that  shown  in  this  picture.  This  is  a  farmhouse  on  a  cattle 
range  in  one  of  the  semiarid  regions  of  the  West,  beyond  the 
possibility  of  irrigation.  The  landscape  is  drear  and  desolate. 
Not  a  tree  can  be  seen — only  a  waste  of  sagebrush  and  cacti. 
The  desert  has  a  charm  of  its  own,  but  without  irrigation  this 
house  can  never  be  made  homelike  on  the  outside,  whatever  it 
may  be  within. 

i  How  different  is  the  scene  in  the  next  picture,  which  shows  a 

farm  home  under  more  favorable  circumstances.  Grass  and 
trees,  the  two  most  important  aids  to  home  adornment,  grow 
luxuriantly.  It  is  easy  to  have  an  attractive  home  under 
these  conditions.  The  great  majority  of  American  farms  are 
located  where  trees,  grass,  and  flowers  grow  without  special 
care;  if,  therefore,  the  home  is  not  attractive,  it  is  due  solely  to 
the  negligence  of  those  who  are  entrusted  with  its  care. 

FARM   BUILDINGS. 

5  Before  proceeding  with  the  details  of  planting  the  farm  home 

grounds,  a  word  should  be  said  about  farm  buildings.  This 
illustration  shows  a  mistake  common  in  locating  the  buildings. 
The  house  is  set  some  distance  back  from  the  road,  and  there 
are  about  a  dozen  small  barns,  cribs,  sheds,  pigpens,  and  other 
outbuildings  between  the  house  and  the  road,  all  of  which 
must  be  passed  in  going  to  the  house.  Under  such  conditions 
it  will  be  difficult  to  make  this  an  attractive  farm  home.  A 
further  disadvantage  here  is  the  fact  that  the  house  is  located 
in  a  hollow,  close  to  a  spring,  and  hence  is  shut  off  from  attrac- 

No.  14 


View. 

tive  views.  Nearly  nil  the  older  farmhouses,  in  those  regions 
where  the  home  water  supply  is  usually  a  spring,  are  Located  in 
hollows.  But  most  farmhouses  built  in  recent  years  are,  or 
should  be,  supplied  with  running  water  in  the  kitchen  from  a 
reservoir  filled  by  a  windmill,  ram,  gasoline  engine,  or  other 
power,  or  even  from  a  roof  supply.  Hence,  in  a  rolling  countiy 
there  is  no  longer  the  necessity  for  locating  the  house  by  the 
spring  in  the  hollow;  it  can  be  placed  where  it  will  command 
a  view  of  the  farm  and  surrounding  countiy,  which  will  greatly 
enhance  its  attractiveness. 

The  farmhouse  should  be  of  simple  and  dignified  architec-  6 

ture.  It  should  be  sightly  as  well  as  comfortable.  The  owner 
should  avoid  striving  after  elaborate  designs.  The  "  ginger- 
bread" architecture  of  this  house  makes  it  ridiculous,  because 
it  is  out  of  place.  The  elaborate  scroll-saw  work  is  " fussy," 
and  soon  becomes  shabby.  How  much  more  satisfactory  is 
the  farmhouse  shown  here.     Contrast  its  simple,  straight  lines  7 

with  the  cut-up  and  artificial  design  of  the  other.  It  is  beauti- 
ful because  it  is  simple ;  it  looks  "  homy, "  and  fits  in  well  with  its 
surroundings.  The  other  house  merely  copies  city  architec- 
ture. It  might  do  fairly  well  in  a  city  or  town  where  every- 
thing is  artificial  and  crowded,  but  it  looks  entirely  out  of 
place  in  the  open  country.  In  recent  years  too  many  farm- 
houses have  been  built  according  to  city  designs.  It  is  hard 
to  improve  upon  the  beautiful,  roomy,  and  simple  architecture 
of  the  farm  home  of  colonial  days.  The  house  shown  in  this 
picture  may  not  exactly  please  you  in  all  details — every  one 
should  build  a  house  to  suit  himself;  but  it  illustrates  the  most 
important  feature  of  an  attractive  country  home,  no  matter 
how  costly  or  how  inexpensive — simplicity  of  design. 

The  principle  of  simplicity  might  well  extend  to  other  fea-  8 

tures  of  the  farm  home  besides  the  house.  This  "  sunrise"  fence 
is  an  interesting  piece  of  carpentry  work,  but  one  would  hardly 
call  it  beautiful  or  appropriate.  A  plain  wire,  iron,  or  picket 
fence  would  be  much  better.  Avoid  such  conspicuous  things  as 
rows  of  whitewashed  stones  bordering  the  walks,  whitewashed 
tree  trunks,  iron  dogs  in  the  front  lawn  pointing  at  painted 
iron  partridges,  and  other  curious,  striking,  gaudy,  and  in- 
congruous effects. 

OUTBUILDINGS. 

The  outbuildings  should  be  in  keeping  with  the  house.     This  9 

shabby  barn  and  slovenly  barnyard  are  within  200  feet  of  an 
expensive  and  really  attractive  farmhouse.  The  contrast  is 
striking  and  painful.     How  much  better  are  the  buildings  on 

No.  14 


I 

10  this  farm?  The  bam  and  other  outbuildings  arc  neatly 
painted  and  in  keeping  with  the  house,  and  one  gets  a  favorable 
impression  of  the  whole  place.  Occasionally  we  see  a  farm 
with  a  barn  thai  is  kept  in  much  better  repair  than  the  house; 
but  more  often  the  outbuildings  are  neglected,  and  thus  they 
detract  from  the  looks  of  the  house. 

VALUABLE  TREES. 

11  The  whole  farm,  not  merely  the  yard,  may  contribute  to 
the  attractiveness  of  the  farm  home.  A  scene  like  this  is  a 
financial  as  well  as  an  aesthetic  asset  to  any  farm.  This 
farmer  should  think  a  Longtime  before  cutting  down  any  of  the 
trees  that  skirt  the  stream  ami  fringe  the  meadow.     A  man 

12  who  has  a  noble  tree  like  this  anywhere  in  his  fields  should  not 
begrudge  the  ground  it   renders  unfii    for  cropping;  the  tree 

13  is  worth  it.  Especially  should  he  protect  fine  trees  like  this 
that  stand  along  the  road  bordering  his  farm.  lie  can  afford 
to  sacrifice  the  ground  it  occupies  for  the  pleasure  it  gives  to 
his  family  and  to  the  community. 

NEATNESS. 

The  most  general  and  the  most  serious  fault  of  American 
farm  homes  is  their  unkemptness.  Many  farmers  seemingly 
are  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  stop  to  "pick  up."  Sloven  ly 
yards  are  far  more  discreditable  than  bare,  implanted  yards; 
and  the  very  best  planting  is  spoiled  by  untidiness.     This 

14  picture  shows  a  farm  home  that  is  unattractive,  merely  because 
it  is  untidy.  The  most  common  criticism  of  our  country  life 
by  European  visitors  is  that  so  many  of  our  farm  homes,  even 
those  owned  by  prosperous  farmers,  are  unattractive,  because 

15  they  are  untidy.  Dilapidated  fences,  broken  gat-es,  machinery 
lying  around  out  of  doors,  the  woodpile  by  the  front  door, 
litter  scattered  around  the  yard — these  and  other  evidences  of 
lack  of  care  can  he  seen  in  farm  homes  everywhere.     Even  if 

1()  the  front  yard  is  fairly  neat  the  back  yard  is  apt  to  look  slov- 
enly, and  the  back  porch  is  apt  to  be  " cluttered  up."  On 
these  same  places  may  often  be  found  expensive  trees  or 
shrubs,  usually  bought  of  a  tree  agent  at  an  exorbitant  price; 
but  it  is  clear  that  what  the  place  needs  most  in  order  to  make 
it  homelike  is  not  50-eent  rosebushes  nor  dollar  weeping  wil- 

17  lows,  but  simply  a  cleaning  up.  I  do  not  know  that  farm 
homes  as  a  class  are  more  untidy  than  other  homes.  Un- 
doubtedly they  are  more  difficult  to  keep  neat  than  most 

No.  14 


View. 

homes,  and  their  untidiness  is  certainly  more  conspicuous. 
The  average  American  farmer  should  give  more  time  to  pick- 
ing up,  not  forgetting  the  barnyard.  18 

WHERE   TO    PLANT. 

Almost  everybody  loves  plants  and  likes  to  set  them  OUt  and 
watch  them  grow.  Nearly  every  farm  home  has  plenty  of 
plants  about  it.  The  trouble  is  not  so  much  that  people  do 
not  plant  enough  as  that  they  do  not  plant  in  the  right  places.  19 
It  is  as  important  to  know  where  to  plant  as  what  to  plant. 
There  are  more  than  a  dozen  trees  and  shrubs  around  this 
house,  but  they  are  scattered  about  the  yard  without  any  ap- 
parent plan.  The  trees  in  front  may  be  satisfactory  for  shade 
in  time,  but  nothing  has  been  done  to  hide  the  most  objection- 
able feature  of  the  place — the  outhouse  in  the  rear.  In  plant- 
ing the  home  grounds  it  is  necessary  to  have  some  sort  of  a 
plan,  preferably  on  paper,  but  at  least  in  mind.  The  main 
object  is  to  plant  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  the  place  look 
homelike  and  comfortable.  The  next  few  slides  illustrate  sev- 
eral ways  of  accomplishing  this.  If  fche  farm  home  grounds 
are  not  cramped  for  room,  and  usually  they  are  not,  plant  trees 
back  of  the  house.  When  they  grow  tall  the  background  of 
trees  will  set  the  house  off  to  best  advantage.  The  farmhouse  20 
shown  here  has  not  a  very  inviting  foreground,  but  notice  how 
much  the  trees  in  the  rear  add  to  its  homelike  appearance.  If 
part  of  the  trees  are  evergreens,  as  in  this  case,  so  much  the 
better.  These  background  trees  may  also  be  useful  as  a  pro- 
tection from  bleak  winds. 

A  second  principle  of  landscape  gardening  applicable  to  the 
farm  home  is  this :  As  far  as  possible,  keep  the  grounds  immedi- 
ately in  front  of  the  house,  especially  as  viewed  from  the  road, 
free  from  low-gro\ving  trees,  shrubs,  and  flower  beds.  Let 
this  space  be  occupied  by  an  unbroken  lawn.  Generally 
speaking,  at  least  one-half  of  the  grounds  should  be  in  lawn. 
The  most  common  mistake  in  planting  the  farm  home  is  to 
choke  the  front  yard  with  a  miscellaneous  lot  of  trees,  shrub- 
bery, and  ornamental  plants.  This  picture  shows  typical  21 
farmyard  planting — basswood,  maple,  and  lilac,  syringa,  and 
rose  bushes — all  huddled  together  at  the  front  of  the  house 
and  giving  a  patchy  effect.  Contrast  with  this  picture  the  22 
next,  which  shows  a  farm  home  with  a  beautiful  expanse  of  rest- 
ful, unbroken  lawn. 

In  the  great  majority  of  cases  most  of  the  trees  and  shrubs 
should  be  planted  in  the  rear  and  around  the  sides  of  the  place, 

No.  14 


s 


Vietr. 


leaving  a  lawn  directly  in  front  of  the  house,  with  perhaps  a 
few  tall-headed,  deciduous  trees  for  shade.  The  heaviest  plant- 
ing, of  course,  should  be  on  the  side  from  which  come  the  most 

annoying  winds.     If  a  good  outlook  means  anything  to  the 

farmer  and  bis  family    and  most  country  people  do  appreciate 

it— the  border  planting  will  be  omitted  at  the  points  from 
which  pleasing  views  may  be  obtained.  Very  often  this  heavy 
front-yard  planting  completely   shuts  out  the  views  of  the 

88  farm  and  surrounding  country  that  might  have  been  enjoyed 
from  the  house.     This  slide  shows  a  farm  home  so  modest  that 

24  it  has  endeavored  to  hide  itself  from  view.  The  next  slide 
shows  a  view  of  the  farm  that  could  have  been  enjoyed  from 
the  porch  of  this  house  if  the  front  yard  had  not  been  so  choked 

i2.*»  with  trees,  especially  evergreens.  The  next  slide  shows  one 
way  of  improving  the  same4  home.  Sinee  the  grounds  are 
quite  small,  most  of  the  tall  trees  are  planted  back  of  the  house, 
giving  it  a  background.  The  low  trees  and  the  shrubs  are 
planted  in  masses  around  the  sides  of  the  place,  and  against 
the  foundation  of  the  house.  The  flowers  are  planted  in  the 
borders  against  the  shrubbery.  There  is  a  good  lawn.  The 
sketch  does  not  show  another  much  needed  improvement — a 
vine  climbing  over  the  porch.  This  sketch  illustrates  the 
three  most  important  points  in  planting  the  yard — the  back- 
ground of  trees,  heavy  planting  along  the  sides  of  the  yard, 
and  an  open  lawn  in  front  of  the  house. 

A  few  high-headed  shade  trees  in  the  lawn  immediately  in 
front  of  the  house  are  not  necessarily  a  disadvantage,  as  the 

26  next  slide  shows.  There  is  a  nice  open  lawn  beneath  the  trees, 
and  the  house  is  not  shut  out  of  view  from  the  road.  These 
trees  protect  the  house  from  the  hot  sun  and  bleak  winds  and 
give  a  grateful  shade  on  the  lawn.  Shade  trees  like  these  are 
always  desirable  in  the  front  lawn.  If,  however,  this  front 
yard  were  filled  with  evergreens  and  shrubs  and  were  cut  up 
with  flowrer  beds,  the  effect  would  not  be  at  all  pleasing. 
These  should  be  planted  along  the  sides  of  the  yard,  not  in  the 
middle. 

Shrubs  are  also  seen  to  advantage  when  planted  against  the 

27  foundation  of  the  house,  as  is  shown  here.  The  foundation  is 
usually  not  attractive,  and  the  shrubbery  hides  it.  The  shrubs 
also  make  the  house  seem  less  artificial;  it  appears  to  rise  out 

28  of  the  shrubbery.  The  corner  by  the  steps,  which  usually  is  a 
catchall  for  rubbish,  may  be  made  beautiful  by  idling  it  with 
plants. 


8. 


View. 

A  very  poor  way  to  grow  flowers  is  shown  here.     A  Little        29 

round  hole  has  been  cu1  in  the  lawn,  and  this  has  been  filled 
with  geraniums  and  coleus  plants  that  the  housewife,  with 

much  care,  has  carried  oxer  the  winter  in  the  collar  or  by 
the  windows.  During  tin4  summer  a  few  sparse  blossoms  are 
borne,  but  nobody  would  dan4  to  pick  them,  because  that  would 
destroy  tin4  symmetry  of  the  bed.  Sometimes  flower  beds  are 
made  in  the  form  of  crescents,  snakes,  flags,  and  other  curious 
and  grotesque  designs.  There  are  at  least  three  objections  to 
these  flower  beds,  especially  on  a  farm:  They  take  too  much 
time,  they  do  not  produce  enough  flowers  to  be  worth  while, 
and  they  are  usually  out  in  the  middle  of  the  lawn  where  grass 
would  be  prettier. 

A  much  better  Way  to  grow  flowers,  especially  on  the  farm,  30 
is  shown  here.  This  is  a  flower  border,  not  a  flower  bed.  It 
is  along  the  side  of  the  lawn,  not  in  the  middle.  It  is  irregular 
and  natural,  not  symmetrical  and  stiff.  There  are  all  sorts  of 
old-fashioned  flowers  here,  and  plenty  of  them,  so  that  even 
the  children  are  not  afraid  to  pick  a  handful  to  carry  to  their 
school  teacher.  Flowers  should  be  grown  not  in  little  beds 
cut  out  of  the  lawm  in  front  of  the  house,  but  in  borders,  along 
the  fences,  in  front  of  the  shrubbery,  against  the  foundation 
of  the  buildings,  and  bordering  the  walks.  This  slide  shows  31 
some  beautiful  china  asters  in  a  most  appropriate  place — 
close  to  the  house  and  peeping  in  at  the  sitting-room  window. 
HowT  much  better  they  look  here  than  they  would  out  in  the 
middle  of  the  lawn.  Flowers  may  also  be  grown  in  a  flower 
garden — a  little  piece  of  land  in  the  rear  or  on  the  side  of  the 
place,  given  up  entirely  to  growing  flowers.  The  charm  of  the  32 
old-fashioned  flower  gardens  of  our  grandmothers  has  not 
passed  away. 

Vines  are  especially  useful  around  the  farm  home  for  screen- 
ing unsightly  objects  like  fences  and  outbuildings,  and  also 
for  draping  and  softening  the  architecture  of  the  house. 
This  slide  shows  the  beginning  of  a  screen  for  the  outhouse.  33 
In  another  year  the  whole  fence  will  be  covered.  On  a  great 
many  farms  this  building  stands  out  without  any  attempt  to 
screen  it,  which  is  little  short  of  indecency.  Tall  shrubs  or 
evergreens  should  be  planted  in  such  a  way  as  to  hide  it  from 
the  road,  and  while  these  are  growing  a  high  board  fence 
should  be  erected  and  covered  with  vines,  as  shown  in  this 
picture.  Boundary  fences  and  other  unlovely  objects  may 
also  be  covered  with  vines. 

No.  14 


10 


1  k  i 


The  use  of  vines  for  draping  the  house,  especially  the  porch 

Or  piazza,  is  the  mos4  common  form  of  home  adornment  in 
America.     The    average    farm    home    would    be    bare    indeed 

84  without  Virginia  creeper,  morning-glories,  and  nasturtium-. 
'This  picture  shows  a  grapevine  that  not  only  adds  greatly  to 

the  appearance  of  the  house,  but  also  contributes  to  its  supply 

of  healthful  fruit. 

Grapes  should  be  cultivated  for  decorative  purposes  much 
more  than  they  are. 

WHAT    TO    PLANT. 

The  preceding  slides  have  given  a  few  suggestions  al>out 
where  to  plant,  which  is  of  much  greater  importance  than  the 
selection  of  the  particular  kinds  to  be  used.  On  nearly  every 
farm  it  is  possible  to  grow  an  almost  infinite  variety  of  plant-: 
the  question  is  which  ones  are  best,  because  only  a  few  can  be 
planted.     It  is  impossible  to  give  a  list  of  plants  that  would 

85  be  generally  successful  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  Here,  for 
example,  is  a  home  in  southern  Florida.  These  coconut  palms, 
which  are  so  attractive  in  that  semitropical  climate,  would  not 
be  very  successful  in  Michigan.  Consult  the  horticulturist  of 
your  St  rite  experiment  station  for  lists  of  plants  especially 
adapted  for  certain  sections.  A  few  general  suggestions,  how- 
ever, may  help  the  home  maker  in  making  his  own  selection. 

(1)  Plant  chiefly  the  trees,  shrubs,  vines,  and  flowers  that 
are  known  to  thrive  in  your  locality  without  special  care.  A 
few  novelties  and  exotics  can  be  coddled,  perhaps,  but  the 
main  body  of  the  planting  should  be  of  tried  and  proved  sorts. 
This  means  that  neighborhood  experience  is  the  best  guide. 
It  also  means  that  you  will  be  most  apt  to  be  successful  with 
the  kinds  that  are  native  to  your  own  part  of  the  country. 
This  is  especially  true  of  trees  and  shrubs.  Do  not  look  too 
long  upon  the  glowing  colors  and  fascinating  descriptions  of 
the  novelties  in  the  seedsman's  catalogue.  Those  kinds  noted 
as  "Too  well  known  to  need  description"  are  much  more  apt 
to  please  you  than  the  more  expensive  novelties. 

3G  (2)  Do   not   plant   many   cut-leaved,   variegated,    weeping, 

and  other  unusual  and  striking  plants.  Most  of  the  trees  and 
shrubs  should  be  the  kinds  common  to  the  neighborhood,  with 
perhaps  a  very  few  specimens  of  the  curiosities. 

37  (3)  Do  not  plant  many  of  the  quick-growing,  and  therefore 

cheap  looking,  trees,  like  the  poplars,  willows,  white  maples, 
and  box  elders.  A  few  of  these  can  be  used  to  advantage  to 
secure  quick  results,   but  they  should  be  interspersed  with 

No.  14 


11 

slower  growing  but  more  substantial  trees  like  the  oaks  and  the 
elms,  ami  the  nurse  trees  should  be  cut  out  when  the  perma- 
nent trees  need  the  space. 

(4)  Most  of  the  flowers  for  the  farm  home  should  be  hardy 
perennials.  When  once  established  these  come  up  every  year 
without  further  trouble,  except  that  they  should  be  divided 
every  few  years.  They  take  less  time  and  usually  give  better 
results  than  annuals. 

(5)  Plant  the  kinds  you  like.  The  home  grounds  should 
express  the  personalities  and  tastes  of  the  family. 

THE   LAWN. 

This  is  the  most  important  feature  of  the  home  grounds 
except  the  trees.  Grass  and  trees  will  make  a  fairly  attractive 
home,  even  without  vines,  shrubs,  and  flowers.  The  lawn  :js 
should  occupy  at  least  one-half  of  the  yard,  hence  the  impor- 
tance of  making  a  good  one.  The  grading  should  be  done 
several  months  before  seeding,  if  possible,  so  as  to  allow  the 
ground  to  settle  and  to  secure  a  uniform  grade  before  seeding. 
Prepare  the  ground  deeply,  fit  it  very  thoroughly,  and  enrich 
it.  Make  a  slight  grade  away  from  the  house,  to  secure  drain- 
age, and  leave  no  hollows.  Seed  very  thickly  and  take  pains 
to  seed  evenly.  A  mixture  of  50  pounds  of  bluegrass  and  5 
pounds  each  of  white  clover  and  redtop  per  acre  gives  excel-  39 
lent  results  in  most  of  the  Northern  and  Central  States.  On 
some  sandy  soils  of  the  South,  pieces  of  turf  of  Bermuda  grass 
must  be  used.  Seeding  is  best  done  in  early  spring.  Peren- 
nial weeds,  such  as  dock,  dandelion,  and  plantain,  should  be 
cut  out  the  first  season.  The  annual  weeds' will  not  give 
trouble  after  the  first  year.  If  parts  of  the  lawn  get  thin  and 
mossy  scratch  them  with  a  rake,  apply  a  fine  compost,  and 
sow  more  seed. 

The  farmer  will  ask  if  a  big  lawn  does  not  take  a  lot  of  care. 
It  is  not  always  necessary  to  cut  the  farm  lawn  wTith  a  lawn 
mower  or  even  with  a  field  mower.  This  slide  shows  a  farmer  10 
who  makes  the  lawn  pay  by  grazing  cattle  upon  it.  In  this 
case  care  must  be  taken  to  scatter  the  manure.  Others  find 
sheep  more  practicable  for  this  purpose.  Sheep  will  keep  a 
lawn  as  trim  as  if  mowed;  but  a  farm  lawn  that  has  flower 
beds  and  shrubs  scattered  over  it  can  not  be  handled  to 
advantage  in  this  way. 

No.  14 


12 
WALKS    AND    DRIVES. 


i  i 


Walks  and  drives  are  necessary  evils,  so  far  as  the  looks  of  the 
41        place  arc  concerned.    Therefore,   have  only  those  that  are 

absolutely   n<  <  essary.     If  possible,  do  not   allow   a  drive  to 

bisect   the  lawn.      If  a  walk  is  less  than  50  feet  Long,  make  it 
Straight.      Make  all  Longer  walks  and  drives  on  a  direct  double 

curve;  avoid  serpentine  curves. 

WHAT    WILL   IT    COST? 

The  first  question  that  the  farmer  asks  is:  "What  will  it 
cost  |"  feeling  thai  these  things  are  all  very  nice,  but  that  he 
can  not  afford  them.  Making  a  farm  home  attractive  need  not 
L2  cost  a  cent.  All  it  need  cost  is  a  little  work.  The  first  item  of 
improvement .  greater  neatness,  costs  nothing  but  an  effort. 
The  second  item  of  improvement,  the  plan,  costs  nothing  but 
study.  The  third  item  of  improvement,  the  plants,  can  be 
mostly  or  wholly  secured  from  the  wild  in  nearly  all  parts  of 
the  country.  This  is  especially  true  of  trees.  Nothing  is 
better  for  home  planting  than  the  common  trees  of  the  sur- 
rounding woodland — elm,  maple,  oak,  basswood,  beech,  pop- 
lar, hickory,  black  walnut,  willow,  ash,  sycamore,  pine, 
spruce,  wild  crab  apple,  and  the  like.  Xo  shrubs  purchased  of 
a  tree  agent  are  superior  to  the  kinds  native  to  a  large  part  of 
the  country,  such  as  the  osier,  dogwood,  thorn  apple,  sumac, 
witch-hazel,  wild  rose,  rhododendron,   elder,  spicebush,   and 

43  viburnum.  No  bought  vines  can  beat  the  wild  Virginia 
creeper,  honeysuckle,  clematis,  bitter-sweet,  and  grape. 
Many  of  the  choicest  wild  flowers,  such  as  the  asters,  goldenrods, 
hepaticas,  and  violets,  do  well  when  transplanted  to  the 
flower  border;  there  they  grow  much  larger  than  in  the  wild, 
so  that  they  are  hardly  recognized  as  wild  flowers.  Some  of 
the  most   attractive  farm-home   grounds  are  planted  almost 

44  entirely  with  plants  dug  from  the  woods  and  fields.  The  wild 
trees  and  shrubs  do  not  usually  grow  as  well  for  the  first  year 
or  two  as  the  nursery  plants,  but  they  soon  catch  up.  Home 
improvement  need  not  take  money,  but  it  does  take  interest. 

45  The  next  four  slides  show  what  can  be  done  when  people  are 
really  interested.  This  farmhouse  certainly  looks  unpromis- 
ing enough.  It  is  ugly,  unpainted,  and  without  a  plant  in 
<\<z\\{   except   a  little  grass.     It  is  simply  a  house;  you  would 

46  not  care  to  live  there.  This  shows  the  same  place  three  years 
after.  The  house  has  been  transformed  into  a  home.  A  little 
paint,  a  few  vines,  a  shrub  or  two,  and  some  grass  have  wrought 
the  miracle.    Probably  the  whole  improvement  did  not  cost 

N...   14 


13 


more  than  a  dollar,  aside  from  the  cost  of  the  paint,  which  payB 

for  itself  in  preserving  the  building. 

Here  is  an  humble  cabin  in  a  mountain  clearing.     There         17 
would  not  seem  to  be  much  incentive  to  improvement  here. 
Yet  the  cabin  looked  like  this  a  year  later.    This  improvement         18 
cost  10  cents  for  morning-glory  seed.     Was  the  money  well 
spent  ? 

These  morning-glories  were  planted  by  the  woman  of  the 
home,  not  by  the  man.  In  fact,  it  usually  is  the  woman  who  49 
takes  an  interest;  the  man  is  too  busy  planting,  making,  and 
harvesting  crops  to  bother  with  such  things.  All  honor  to  the 
American  woman,  who,  no  matter  how  humble  her  home  or 
how  countless  her  cares,  still  finds  time  to  keep  a  few  flowers 
blooming  bravely  in  her  windows  and  by  the  doorstep. 

We  are  interested  in  making  the  farm  home  more  attractive 
because  it  enriches  our  own  lives;  but,  far  more  than  that,  be- 
cause of  the  influence  it  may  have  upon  the  children  in  the 
home.  The  most  earnest  desire  of  all  normal  fathers  and  50 
mothers  is  that  the  children  may  have  more  advantages  and 
lead  happier  and  more  useful  lives  than  their  parents.  Nothing 
has  a  more  potent  influence  in  shaping  the  life  of  the  child 
than  the  home  environment.  What  are  we  doing  to  make  our 
own  homes  more  attractive?  If  we  will  not  take  the  trouble 
for  ourselves,  we  certainly  should  for  our  children,  so  that  51 
when  they  leave  us  to  make  homes  of  their  own  they  will 
always  remember  with  pleasure  the  old  home  on  the  farm. 

No.  14 


APPENDIX. 


LANTERN  SLIDES. 

No.  of 
view. 

1.  A  bare,  unattractive  farmhouse. 

2.  An  attractive  farm  home. 

3.  Desolate  farmhouse  in  a  treeless,  semiarid  region,  without  irrigation. 

4.  Attractive  farm  home  in  humid  region. 

5.  Farm  buildings  between  house  and  road. 

6.  "Gingerbread"  architecture  of  farmhouse. 

7.  Simple  and  attractive  architecture  of  farmhouse. 

8.  A  "sunrise"  fence;  interesting  but  not  beautiful  or  appropriate. 

9.  A  shabby  barn  and  slovenly  barnyard,  not  in  keeping  with  the  house. 

10.  Neat  outbuildings  giving  a  pleasing  appearance  to  the  farmhouse. 

11.  Sheep  grazing  in  the  meadow. 

12.  Large  elm  tree. 

13.  Pine  tree  by  the  road. 

14.  Untidy  front  yard  of  a  farmhouse. 

15.  Dilapidated  yard  fence. 

16.  Unkempt  back  yard. 

17.  Littered  back  porch. 

18.  Tools  and  trash  lying  around  the  barnyard. 

19.  Farm  home  with  an  attempt  at  planting,  but  no  plan. 

20.  A  background  of  trees  for  the  house. 

21.  Front  yard  choked  with  trees  and  shrubs. 

22.  Farm  home  with  open  lawn  in  front  of  the  house. 

23.  Planting  in  front  yard  which  shuts  off  view  shown  in  No.  24. 

24.  Attractive  view  of  farm  not  visible  from  house  on  account  of  planting  in  front 

yard. 

25.  Sketch  showing  a  better  plan  of  planting  the  grounds  than  in  Nos.  23  and  24. 

26.  Open  lawn  beneath  shade  trees  in  front  yard. 

27.  Shrubs  hiding  the  foundation  of  the  house. 

28.  Planting  in  the  corners. 

29.  A  flower  bed  in  the  middle  of  the  lawn. 

30.  A  flower  border  by  the  fence. 

31.  China  asters  near  the  sitting-room  window. 

32.  A  flower  garden. 

33.  Screening  the  outhouse. 

34.  Grapevine  trained  to  the  side  of  the  house. 

35.  Grove  of  coconut  palms  in  front  of  a  Florida  home. 

36.  Cut-leaved  weeping  birch. 

37.  Carolina  poplar. 

38.  Play  of  light  and  shadow,  and  children  on  the  lawn. 

39.  An  attractive  farm  home,  largely  the  result  of  the  good  lawn  and  the  single  vine 

of  Virginia  creeper. 

40.  Farm  lawn  being  grazed  by  cattle. 

(15) 


16 

1  i.  Slowing  ■  drive  with  a  gentle  direct-double  curve,  with  planting  in  the  bends. 

i2.  WiM  crab-apple  tree  in  blossom;  this  tree  was  transplanted  from  the  woods. 

in.  I  .r\i|x-\  ine  arbor;  this  grapes  in<*  was  dug  in  the  woods. 

i  t.  Attractively  planted  farm-home  grounds  in  which  all  the  plants  are  native  to  the 
i  icinity  and  were  <lu,ur  from  the  wild. 

i.">.  Ugly,  unpainted  farm  home  and  implanted  yard. 

m.  The  house  shown  In  No.  46,  after  painting  and  plant  ii 

•17.  An  humble  mountain  cabin. 

is.  The  bouse  shown  in  No.  47,  showing  the  improvement  wrought  by  morning- 
glories. 

•1*).  The  woman  on  ih<*  farm;  planting  a  tulip  bed. 

.->(>.  Children  helping  their  mother  j»i<  k  sweet  peas. 

51,  The  farm  home  on  the  hill. 
No.  i  i 


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